Osijek and Lokomotiv played a scoreless match, where Osijek met the expectations of their fans and the HQ alike.
After having lost 2 times against Lokomotiv during the Winter preps in Spain, Osijek tied against the Russian titans this time. There were no scores in this solid, even match, neither were there any prospective chances in both penalty areas, but Zoran Zekic expressed his contentment with the boys from Osijek.
Lokomotiv haven’t done much during these 90 minutes, since NK Osijek consolidated the pitch quite successfully during the defensive phase, while simultaneously maintaining a patient and combo-filled playstyle that flowed seamlessly from player to player, but alas, the opposing defences proved impenetrable.
The Opponents were Denied the Win
Osijek was superior during the first half, especially during Boban’s offense after Barisic’s cross, where the ball found itself 10 meters from the opponents’ goal, despite Osijek’s striker missing the mark. The other attempts were mainly 20-meter shots that missed the frame. Osijek attempted to create opportunities mainly in the center, where the versatile Skoric brilliantly enabled his teammates to shine: Boban, Maric, Haradinovic, Lopa, Mioc.
The incessantly offensive Barisic didn’t find the space to employ his teammates’ crosses from the left wing, but on the other side of the coin, Lokomotiv only made it to Osijek’s penalty area on 2-3 occasions, only one of those being a serious threat to Malenica: a deadly free kick.
Optimism Pre-Europa League
Loncar, along with Barac, whose adductor injury doesn’t seem serious, showed promise in the back line, with Radeljic subbing Sinjanin in the back position. Pilj, too, brought some aggression in the midfield, while Sorsa attempted to play during the whole match after having missed out training sessions while being saved for later. In the second act, Lokomotiv threatened Osijek mainly during match interruptions or long shots, while Osijek’s Henty, Maric and Boban attempted to outsmart the enemy defense and the assured goalkeeper Kochenkov.
The impression that Zekic’s left is positive, irrespective of Lokomotiv saving its aces. Osijek, however, showed their prowess against a strong opponent and now eagerly awaits the Europa League matches.
